Thursday, May 27, 2010

I got a book a couple of weeks ago. This book is different from other survival books I have. It is a full fledged 12 week Urban Survival Course that will take you through the process of getting prepared. At first I was like “yeah …ok”, but after skimming through it I noticed a lot of effort was put into this book when it was written. It was originally written as a 12 week course, with over 2,000 students gone through the course before the printing of the book. The book is “Urban Survival Guide” by David Morris.

Over the next 12 plus weeks I will be going through the book as in a course and blogging my experience. Sometimes it is best to go back to the basics. This way you may find something you may have missed or need to work on more. As far as I can tell you can use the book or go through his online SurviveInPlace Course. I really don’t know what the difference is. The book covers the same thing as the online course does. He does mention of some fun additional surprises that won’t be disclose to non-students.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Emergency / Preparedness Action Kit was what James Talmage Stevens (author of “ Making the Best of Basics”) nicknamed his 72-hour+ kit. I like that nickname, I have one in my truck and several in my home. Why don’t I call it a bug out bag? or bug in bag? or emergency get home pack? The main reason I like this nickname is because it best describes what it is. When people talk about bug out bags (BOB), the first thing people think is that it is for bugging out. Ninety five percent of the emergencies you will encounter will not cause you to leave your home. I have had to bug out about three times in my live. Two was because of forest fires and the other because of a train derail that caused a chemical spill. E/PAK’s allow you to have emergency supplies for 72 hours+ at your fingertips. They may be used to get home or to bug out if need be. Vehicle/Personal E/PAK’s are different then Home E/PAK’s.
Vehicle/Personal E/PAK’s are usually smaller than home ones. They are usually a small daypack that can be carried easily. Vehicle/Personal E/PAK’s are mainly used to get to a place of safety or if a disaster strikes and you need to get back home. What is contained in them and the amount of supplies may differ from person to person. I work 36 miles away from home, I have to calculate how long it would take to hike back to my home and supply my pack for that amount of time. Important is that you rotate any dated items such as food and medical. Also, depends on where you live, the heat may cause you to rotate food items on a more frequent schedule. I’m currently testing out a new system called gearpods for my Vehicle/Personal E/PAK. I can attach it to a fanny pack that has ration bars and water.

Home E/PAK’s will be bigger backpacks that can be carried or rolled with a suit case dolly. You can have one main Home E/PAK or have several for each individual in the home. They will carry extra changes of clothes, food and gear. I have enough food in mine for four days and along with my Vehicle/Personal E/PAK I now have seven days of food. And have been in several hurricanes…seven days is most likely the amount you want not the three days they recommend on several websites.
One rule on all your E/PAK’s is to keep them updated. Make sure you have copies of identification and proof of where you live, meds that may be needed, contacts and up to date emergency plans with locations to meet at. Rotate your food in the packs on a regular basis. Also twice a year to take the items out and check them for damage.
If you have pets. Make sure that they have their own E/PAK. They make packs for animals or you can attach them to their carriers.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

What is backyard survival? Backyard survival is a way to learn and to test out your gear. Basically it is learning how to use your gear and to learn new survival skills in your backyard. There is several reasons it is better to learn things in your backyard then in the wilderness or remote bug out location. If you use your backyard as a learning center you can be able to test things in all types of weather with out having to travel lots of miles. If something goes wrong and you need to call 911 it is a lot better response time then in a remote area. Plus if you are testing things in an extreme weather you have a quick safe shelter to get warm or cool and dry.
I do a lot of testing my gear out in my backyard and it really helps me learn the capabilities of my gear as well on just learning to use it. This is also a good way to teach young children about camping. They are less likely to get scared on their first camping trip. A great way to practice your skills like fire starting with different methods. Also starting a fire in different weather conditions. The other night I tested out two alcohol stoves in 26 mph winds. At night I tested out several flashlights and a head lamp. I have also tested out different survival blankets in 30F to see how they worked.
So the next time you are bored with nothing to do while it is raining outside… get on that rain gear that you never took out of the bag. Put it on and find some other gear you may want to test and head outside. But not if there is a lot of lightning… you still need to be safe. Try that wetfire tinder out or after the rain try making a fire with some of the wet wood from the wood pile. Most of all learn and have fun!